In this Stuffed Shells recipe, jumbo pasta shells are filled with spinach and cheese, topped with marinara sauce and then baked until hot and bubbly. This recipe is quick to prep and perfect for making ahead.

Love baked pasta recipes? You might also enjoy this Lasagna Recipe, Baked Rigatoni and Homemade Mac and Cheese.

Baked stuffed shells in baking dish.

Why You’ll Love this Stuffed Shells Recipe

  • FOUR Cheese Filling. These shells are stuffed with spinach and 4 types of cheese, so they’re ultra cheesy and flavorful.
  • Easy to Make. Making stuffed shells may seem intimidating, but I promise you it’s so easy! Each step is simple, and the active prep time is less than 30 minutes.
  • Meatless Comfort Food. When I think of comfort food, recipes like Chicken Pot Pie and Meatloaf often come to mind. But this stuffed shells recipe is here to prove that vegetarian meals can be every bit as satisfying and delicious (also try these Lasagna Roll Ups).
  • Perfect for Making Ahead. These stuffed shells freeze wonderfully, so you can make a big batch and freeze some for later. You can also prep them a day ahead of time and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake.

Second time I have made this recipe and the whole family loves it. So easy and delicious. Love all your recipes!

Christine
Ingredients for stuffed shells recipe.

Ingredients

  • Frozen Spinach: Frozen spinach is convenient to keep on hand and easy to thaw (see my tips below). If you want to use fresh spinach, you’ll need to first wilt the spinach in a skillet with a little olive oil over low heat. Then squeeze out all excess moisture before adding the spinach to the filling.
  • Jumbo Pasta Shells: When cooking the shells, use the minimum cook time listed on the package. You don’t want to overcook the shells or they may fall apart.
  • Ricotta Cheese: A classic stuffed shells ingredient.
  • Cottage Cheese: Lightens up the cheese filling.
  • Mozzarella Cheese: Melts wonderfully. You’ll use shredded mozzarella both in the stuffed shells filling and on top of the pasta bake.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Grated Parmesan adds nutty, complex flavor.
  • Italian Seasoning, Salt and Pepper: To season the cheese filling.
  • Marinara Sauce: I usually use a jar of store-bought sauce to save time. If you prefer homemade, you’ll love this Marinara Sauce recipe.

To Thaw Frozen Spinach

  • Refrigerator Method: Allow about 24 hours for the spinach to thaw in the refrigerator. Place the spinach in a bowl to catch any liquid.
  • Microwave Method: Place frozen spinach in a bowl and thaw in 1-2 minute increments using the defrost setting of a microwave, stirring after each increment. 
  • Cold Water Method: Put the frozen spinach in a zip-top bag and defrost it under cold running water, or place it in a bowl of cold water (place a glass bowl on top to weigh it down), until thawed.

How to Make Stuffed Shells

Here is an overview of the steps to make this recipe. Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.

Cook the pasta shells in a pot of boiling, salted water. Then drain and place on a baking sheet to cool.

Squeeze out the spinach. Wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out all excess liquid.

Make the spinach and cheese filling. In a mixing bowl, stir together the cheeses, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and spinach.

Spinach added to cheese filling mixture in a mixing bowl.

Fill the pasta shells. Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon the filling into the shells and place in the baking dish.

The process of stuffing shells, with a few stuffed shells in a baking dish.

Top with marinara sauce and mozzarella.

Stuffed shells topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese in baking dish before baking.

Bake until the shells are hot and the cheese is melted.

Then serve and enjoy! I like to serve these with Garlic Bread and an Italian Salad.

Baked spinach and cheese stuffed shells in baking dish.

Make Ahead and Freezer Instructions

  • To Freeze: Place the shells in a baking dish and top with the marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Once completely cool, cover the dish with a lid or wrap tightly with foil and freeze. The unbaked shells can be frozen for up to 2 months.
  • To Refrigerate: You can prepare the shells in advance and refrigerate them in a covered baking dish for up to one day before baking. You may have to bake the shells for 5-10 additional minutes if they are cold from the refrigerator.
  • To Bake Frozen Shells: To bake the shells frozen, directly from the freezer, add about 15-20 minutes to the covered bake time. Bake until the filling is hot and the sauce is bubbly. If you plan to freeze the shells, you may want to add some additional sauce on top to keep the shells from drying out during the longer bake time.

Stuffed Shells Recipe Variations

  • To make stuffed shells with meat, cook 1 pound of ground beef or sausage in a skillet. Add half of the meat to the filling and the other half to the marinara sauce. You may want to reduce the amount of ricotta cheese and/or cottage cheese so that you don’t have too much filling.
  • Not a fan of cottage cheese? You can substitute it with more ricotta cheese.
  • If you don’t care for spinach you can leave it out of the recipe.
  • Also try these Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells.
Stuffed shell on a spoon resting in the baking dish.

More Favorite Pasta Recipes

Close up of baked stuffed shells in baking dish.
5 from 3 ratings

Stuffed Shells Recipe

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
In this Stuffed Shells recipe, jumbo pasta shells are filled with spinach and cheese, topped with marinara sauce and then baked until hot and bubbly. Bake them right away or freeze for later. Freezer and make ahead directions are in the notes below.
Print Recipe Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed*
  • 24 jumbo pasta shells
  • 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
  • ¾ cup cottage cheese, full fat or low fat
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 6 ounces, divided
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 25 ounce jar marinara sauce

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ½ teaspoon salt and the jumbo shells. Cook according to package directions for al dente. Be careful not to overcook the shells or they may fall apart as you fill them. Drain and place on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
  • Wrap the thawed spinach in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out all excess liquid over a bowl or the sink. Set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • In a medium bowl stir together the ricotta, cottage cheese, half of the mozzarella, the Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in the spinach.
  • Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  • Spoon the filling into the pasta shells and place in the baking dish.
  • Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil (spray the underside of the foil with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking to the cheese) and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10 minutes more until cheese is melted and shells are hot. Serve.

Notes

  • To thaw frozen spinach: (1) Refrigerator Method: Allow about 24 hours for the spinach to thaw in the refrigerator. Place the spinach in a bowl to catch any liquid. OR (2) Microwave Method: Place frozen spinach in a bowl and thaw in 1-2 minute increments using the defrost setting of a microwave, stirring after each increment. OR (3) Cold Water Method: Put the frozen spinach in a zip-top bag and defrost it under cold running water, or place it in a bowl of cold water (place a glass bowl on top to weigh it down), until thawed.
  • To make stuffed shells with meat: Cook 1 pound of ground beef or sausage in a skillet. Add half of the meat to the filling and the other half to the marinara sauce. You may want to reduce the amount of ricotta cheese and/or cottage cheese so that you won’t have too much filling.
  • You can substitute ricotta cheese for the cottage cheese.
  • To Make Ahead: Shells can be prepared up to the baking step a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake and serve. You may have to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time for refrigerated shells.
  • To Freeze: You can freeze the shells before baking for up to 2 months. Cover the dish with a lid or wrap tightly with foil and then place in freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator for a day before baking as directed above, or follow the directions below to bake from frozen.
  • To Bake Frozen Shells: You can bake the shells frozen, directly from the freezer. Frozen shells will take about 15-20 additional minutes of covered bake time. They are done when they are hot and bubbly. If you are baking shells straight from the freezer, you may want to add some additional sauce to keep the shells from drying out during the longer bake time. The sauce can be poured on the shells before or after freezing.
Serving: 4stuffed shells, Calories: 387kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 1124mg, Potassium: 670mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 4385IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 468mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Italian
Course: Main Dish
Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

Recipe updated 8/27/23 to make a smaller quantity of shells.

This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Kristine's Kitchen!